Thank you Macmillan Audio for my free audioARC of Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth — available Apr 23 in the US!

Jessica, Norah, and Alicia grew up together as the foster daughters of Miss Fairchild, on a idyllic farm with everything they could want for. Except for, you know, happiness. Because Miss Fairchild was not as loving as she seemed to everyone else. Now, as adults, the girls are getting calls from the police investigating a possible murder on their foster farm — what secrets are they hiding?

This one was, unfortunately, not for me. I didn't build a connection to any of the characters, and I felt that much of the book used trauma and abuse as a shortcut to an actual narrative. I don't enjoy reading about the abuse of children, especially when it reinforces the stereotype that all fostered and adopted children have terrible, sadistic adults in their lives.

Aside from my personal aversions, I think others will enjoy this read because it is twisty and engaging, and there is nothing objectively wrong with it. So pick it up if you're interested, but please keep in mind that not all foster stories are based on physical and emotional violence.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

Author Sally Hepworth is known to draw readers in to her towns, storyline, and characters. Her most recent, "Darling Girls" is no exception as three adopted sisters are thrown back into their childhood trauma when a body is discovered under the demolished home of their evil foster mother.

Jessica, Norah, and Alicia are very different women. Each with their own traumas and experiences growing up under the roof of Miss Fairchild. But the one thing they always had was each other. Back "home" to be interviewed in the investigation of an unidentified body, these sisters are thrown back into one of the hardest times of their life. The events, investigation, and discoveries that ensue lend to an entertaining, albeit disturbing conclusion.

This was a fun twisty thriller/mystery that takes place in foster care. You can’t stop. I listened to this in one sitting.

Just what I needed, a fantastic distraction.

Three young women return to the town where they spent time in foster care at the behest of the local constabulary. A dead body has been found under the house they were fostered in.

What horrible secrets, past & present, are ready to be unearthed?

Recommended!

Great narration! Thank you MacMillan Audio & NetGalley for granting me access to this story. Available 4/23/2024.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC audiobook.
Overall, I really enjoyed this story though I didn't feel like there was a great surprise towards the end. I wanted there to be, but it wasn't a surprising reveal.
Despite that, I felt Hepworth did an excellent job just telling a great story. The three sisters were well crafted and provided intrigue. I thought their bond was real and I was cheering for them.
I think there are a lot of "kids treated poorly" stories in the thriller genre right now, but Hepworth treats this one well and with depth.
As I heard the audiobook, the delivery by the narrator was, for the most part, very good. With her Australian accent, I was glad she didn't do many different "voices" for the characters. I think, for a North American listener, it would have been too much.

Jessica, Norah, and Alicia are three sisters who once were all foster children at Wild Meadows, taken in one-by-one from challenges and tragedies in their lives to live with their new foster mother Miss Fairchild. Except what seemed like a gorgeous home to become a family turns out to be a dangerous place for the three girls. In the present day, the sisters are still close but all dealing with their own personal struggles. Jessica is a house cleaner keeping secrets from her clients, Norah is still dealing with rage issues and toxic relationships, and Alicia works to help foster children but is too afraid to make new relationships of their own. Then they all get phone calls, that human bones have been found beneath Wild Meadows and the police need to speak to all of them. They are forced to all travel back to the town where they spent the worst years of their childhood in to face what happened at Wild Meadows.

Sally Hepworth has delivered another great multi-character thriller. Moving between the perspectives of each sister and time, Hepworth creates a fast moving work full of mysteries and twists. The book deals with the potential for abuse within the foster care system and the challenges that can arise in reporting abuse that may not arise to a level that can warrant immediate intervention. Hepworth does a great job balancing the personalities of the three sisters and giving each of them their own unique backgrounds and attitudes and difficulties, which carries the majority of the book until the twists start coming quickly in the second half of the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for a copy of Darling Girls in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this, especially on audio. I liked that the story was about women who were trying to get themselves out of a tough bind and did so by supporting each other. It was difficult to read about how families abandoned their daughters whose marriages ended but was reassured by the new “families” these daughters made when navigating through the difficult times. I learned about divorce and how it was handled historically and the part Reno played in it, this is all new to me.

The low ratings on Goodreads are more a reflection on readers’ lack of insight into the kind of stories they enjoy. This one is a quiet, reflective tale, a character-driven story not a plot- driven one where lots of things happen. If a fast-paced story with lots of action is your jam then pick up a mystery novel already and leave these beautiful ones alone. The issue is with you not with the story or its author.

Thank you, NetGalley and Flatiron books for an early view.

An exceptionally crafted psychological mystery about three sisters growing up in foster care. As adults the sisters are summoned back to their childhood home and forced to wade through their traumatic past. This book kept my guessing until the bitter end! While the story is told from multiple points of view, it was narrated well and easy to identify each character.

This was my first Sally Hepworth book and it won't be my last.

When human remains are found on the old grounds of a former foster home, investigators reach out to three foster children who grew up there. Are they suspects, or victims? The book alternates between the three sisters and the terrible circumstances that brought them into the abusive care of Miss Fairchild.

From the foster "sister's" POV, it is quite obvious that Miss Fairchild must be responsible for the death, but Miss Fairchild tries to spin the police into suspecting the sisters. What follows is a tumultuous ride through their past and present lives, as they wait to find out who the remains belong to.

There were a few unexpected twists to this, and while it was extremely well written and narrated, I found it to not be super thrilling. Considering the dark subjects of child abuse and neglect, it was a surprisingly enjoyable listen, but I was not super invested in any of the characters or the outcome. I think this one deserves 3.5 stars.

I appreciate the ARC from Netgalley and the publishers.

Disclaimer: This book was incredibly sad and the child abuse involved was disturbing and hard to read at times.
I listened to this book and found myself listening whenever possible because I had to know what happened. It was riveting, suspenseful, interesting, and thrilling.
3 sisters return to their foster home after bones are found on site. Who does this body belong to? How are these three women involved? And what trauma made 3 young girls as close as true siblings?
This book was a wild ride you should totally take!

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan audio for the AAC!

When a body is found during the demolition of their former foster home, Jessica, Norah and Alicia return to the area to cooperate with the investigation. This story alternates between the girls' situation present day as the investigation begins and their childhood when they were living in the foster home. While it does deal with some heavy themes (child neglect/abuse), I thought the author did a good job of writing it in such a way that it's not so grotesque that you have to keep putting it down to take a break from it. I didn't find any of the twists especially shocking, but all of the characters are likable and the alternating timelines makes it a very quick listen. If any mention of child neglect/abuse is a deal breaker for you, obviously pass, but I truly didn't think it was any wear near as bad as most stories in the mystery/suspense genre. It wasn't my favorite from this author, but I enjoyed it while I was listening and the narration was good. Definitely looking forward to more from this author!

The narration of Darling Girls was excellent - 5 stars! The story line was less of a hit for me. I didn't really enjoy or connect with any of the characters, and it was more of a drama than a thriller / mystery. It definitely wasn't my favorite Sally Hepworth read, but overall I still enjoyed it. If you're going to read this one, I highly suggest the audio book!

Prepare for an electrifying journey with Darling Girls, a gripping psychological thriller that captivates from the very first page. Follow the tumultuous paths of three resilient women whose intertwined lives will keep you on the edge of your seat until the shocking finale. As a newcomer to the author's work, I was immediately hooked and found it nearly impossible to set the book down. The unexpected ending left me reeling, a true testament to the author's skill at crafting suspenseful twists. However, it's important to note that this book delves into sensitive topics such as foster care and abuse, which may be triggering for some readers. Proceed with caution and be sure to review any trigger warnings before diving in.

What sets Darling Girls apart is its richly developed characters, each flawed yet deeply relatable. Jessica, Nora, and Alicia, former foster care children, share a bond forged in trauma, and their journey sheds light on the enduring strength of sisterhood. When human remains are discovered beneath their former foster home, the trio is reluctantly drawn back to their painful past, compelled to unearth long-buried secrets. As the narrative unfolds through alternating perspectives and timelines, including intriguing glimpses into mysterious conversations with Dr. Warren, Hepworth skillfully navigates the complexities of her characters' psyches.

Through meticulous research and unwavering sensitivity, the author sheds light on the systemic failures of the foster care system, offering a poignant exploration of resilience and redemption. Darling Girls is an unputdownable masterpiece that seamlessly weaves together suspense, emotion, and social commentary. Highly recommended for readers seeking an immersive and thought-provoking thriller. I listened to the audiobook and really enjoyed it along with the narrator!

Darling Girls is about 3 foster "sisters", who grew up together at Wild Meadows foster home in Port Agatha.
25 years later they receive a call from a detective about the discovery of human bones under the farmhouse of their childhood. The 3 return to be interviewed by the detectives on the case. Alicia, Jessica and Norah all have flashbacks from their time at Meadows Hill with their cruel and abusive foster mom, Miss Fairchild.
It's a mystery who the bones are since as children no one believed them and they were gaslit for years.
This book was an excellent telling of the permanent effects of being raised by an abusive, narcissistic parent
I highly recommend this book, as the twists and turns were non stop!
I listened to this book late into the night, and the ending was well worth it!
Huge thanks to NetGalley for this audio ARC in exchange for my honest review
I liked the narrator a lot.
Publication date: April 23, 2024

Oh Sally Hepworth!! I just love her books and this one was no different!!! I loved this dark twisty slow burn of a thriller, we have 3 foster sisters and about their lives now and back when they where kids at Mrs Fairchilds country home as foster children and what they endured there and how it impacted their adult lives! This one is kinda heavy so know that going on, the abuse these children faced wasn’t easy to read about. But saying that I think it was also written really well with enough detail to keep me wanting more but not completely destroying my heart. I thought how it switched to each POV and to now and then was very smooth and it flowed well! I loved each POV equally and couldn’t wait to get back to each to know what happened. I listened to the audiobook of this and I thought the narrator did a wonderful job, especially with so many other POVs. The pace was perfect and I listened to this in about 2 days, I couldn’t put it down!

Sally Hepworth is a master at writing thrillers. “Darling Girls” is a thrilling, twisty ride with engaging characters and plenty of surprises. Jessica Clarke’s narration was excellent, too.

Something I really appreciated about this book is how all of the characters actions felt very realistic to their development throughout the book. Everything tracked very well. The ending twist I did not see coming at all, and I appreciated leaving the book a little messy in the end. The narrator of the audiobook was great!

For as long as they can remember, Jessica, Norah, and Alicia have been told how lucky they are. As young girls they were rescued from family tragedies and raised by a loving foster mother, Miss Fairchild, on an idyllic farming estate and given an elusive second chance at a happy family life. But their childhood wasn’t the fairy tale everyone thinks it was. Miss Fairchild had rules. Miss Fairchild could be unpredictable. And Miss Fairchild was never, ever to be crossed.

This was my first Sally Hepworth book, and I absolutely loved it. I love mysteries, I love psychological twists and turns. I love stories about family dynamics. This had all the things that make me happy. I loved this story!

The audio was very well done. I listen to tons of audiobooks, and if a narrator can tell me a story without taking me out of it, I'm happy. When a narrator can draw me in and get invested with all the character voices, the pacing, and tone of a book this good, it's gold. Highly recommended!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced digital audio copy (ARC) in exchange for an honest review!

✨Audiobook Review✨

Darling Girls
Sally Hepworth
Pub Date: April 23, 2024

I really enjoyed this book. It follows the story of three foster girls and their experiences living with Ms. Fairchild.

When I say this story gets pretty wild I mean it. I love Sally Hepworths’s writing and this one didn’t disappoint. She has a way of keeping the shock factor up.

This story was told in multiple POVS which I really liked. It helped bring each character to life showing their history and how they ended up in Ms. Fairchilds care. There were so many aspects of the children’s stories that were raw and really pulled at my heart strings. However, it really made the story that much better by using that to draw in the reader.

Narration was done by Jessica Clarke. This audiobook was so good! I definitely recommend listening to this one if you like audiobooks!

Thank you @stmartinspress @macmillan.audio and @netgalley for a copy of this book.

Sally Hepworth is typically an auto-buy author for me. However, this book was not for me. It should have come with a trigger warning for child abuse. Due to that and the LGBT character, this book is not a good fit for my social media and book blog.

Sally Hepworth has done it again with another thriller that kept my attention and kept me guessing. The dual timeline with a mystery narrator was easy to follow and and the audiobook narrator made the transitions seamless. It's an uncomfortable subject, though, and the book should have trigger warnings as some may have trouble with the subject matter.